Christmases
by Alithea
Summary: A series of Christmases in which Noin and Une share a moment.


Title: Christmases  
Rating: PG-13  
Characters are not mine I am just borrowing.  
A/N: This is a riff on a chapter from a fic Jilly-chan and I wrote called Numbers (which is over at AO3), and also a riff on two Numbers Alternates fics (also at AO3) I wrote in which I wanted to get Noin and Lady Une together. I wanted to see what those ideas would look like in the canon setting. There's also a spot of inspiration from slightlyjillian's fic Dancing Partners. Hopefully this makes sense without having read the others. It's meant to, and if it doesn't I apologize.

* * *

Noin looked down at the assemblage of guests gathered in the atrium of the main Preventer building from the second floor balcony as her hands curled around the woodwork between swaths of Christmas decorations. Her eyes fixed on a young woman in a pink beret, and stylish pink and grey suit. Next to her Sally Po was leaning against the railing, and sipping at a champagne flute filled with sparkling apple cider.

"Do you think she looks like me?"

Sally turned and looked down, arching an eyebrow as she said, "No."

"Not at all?"

"No," Sally repeated and then stated, "Besides the short dark hair, Hilde is a far better dresser than you are." She watched the way Noin's mouth curved into a visible frown. "Aretha looked like you. Does that make you feel better?"

"No." Noin bit her bottom lip and tried to ignore the smile on Lady Une's face as Hilde greeted her.

"You want her to have a type," Sally stated, "but only so you can convince yourself you have a chance."

Noin paled and looked at Sally mouth agape.

"Don't protest. It's true. You and Miss Darlain are the worst at trying to conceal your attractions with contempt."

"Sally?"

"Hmm." She had taken another sip from her drink.

"Nothing." Noin looked around for a waiter with real champagne. "I need to mingle."

* * *

"Ah, Lieutenant! Let me introduce you to Colonel Une," the young sergeant beamed as he greeted Noin.

"Oh, no-"

She was pushed along through the throngs of guests. It was Christmas and the grand reopening of the Victoria Base's school for new OZ recruits. She stopped short in the midst of a heated argument between two high ranking Rommefeller officials. The sergeant touched Colonel Une on the arm and she turned to face Noin.

"Colonel this is-"

"Lieutenant Lucrezia Noin," Une said with a smug smile. "His Excellency has high hopes for you here as an instructor."

Noin nodded. "Well, I'm the best mobile suit pilot the academy has ever seen."

"You mean except for Zechs Marquis." Une said with a laugh. "I do believe the official test scores put him about a percent above you in the rankings.

Noin cleared her throat and nodded.

"Well, there's no way His Excellency could get Zechs to be content with just teaching."

"I'm not-"

"You are, of course, in command here as well. It's an important office, and you can make a name for yourself by your graduates' deeds out in the field," Une interrupted. "If you will excuse me I have other OZ elite to meet."

The Colonel stepped away and Noin watched her go. She hated that woman. She hated the way she treated her post as if it were a consolation prize. Noin could have had any post she wanted with her scores. She had chosen to teach. And, besides, the Colonel was no better than her, she had sidestepped a command to basically be a high ranking secretary.

* * *

It was an awful way to spend a Christmas. The colony had yet to be rebuilt after the attack and was being used as a base of operations for some new military group looking to restore some misguided vision from the past. Noin was up in a high tower with Lady Une. She used a scope to spot potential attackers.

"No movement," Noin stated. She tried to imagine why Une would need a spotter. There was no wind to account for in the colony.

"Maybe they're taking a break for the holiday," Une said softly. She looked through the scope of her rifle and then said, "Ah. There we are." She fired off a shot.

Noin looked through her scope and saw a form fall back on the pavement in the distance. "More are coming out."

"Like a nest of vermin." Une stated. "One moves and they all follow."

Heavy fire sounded in the distance.

"This takes me back," Une stated.

"Oh?"

"I did this all the time before I decided there was a greater cause to strive towards than just sniping enemies from a high tower."

Noin blinked. She looked out again and said, "I think we've been spotted."

Une pulled her down quickly. "Let's move."

* * *

The gym was usually unoccupied at such an early hour. Noin had retreated there to blow off some steam. It was a silly way to spend a Christmas, but she had been blown off for the last time, and she needed a release. The lights were already on inside, and she was surprised to find it occupied by Lady Une who was doing pull ups. She stood in the doorway a little too captivated by what many would call perfectly sculpted abs. She stepped backwards and then found herself caught by the lady's gaze. Une dangled from the bar for a moment before dropping slightly to the ground. She smiled.

"Looking for something," Une asked.

"Just..." She sucked in a breath as a bead of sweat moved down Une's neck. "Just a workout."

"Do you box?" Une asked. "I know a lot of men and women from the Victoria base who are into boxing."

"It was a popular club but I actually-"

"Fenced," Une stated and walked over to pick up her towel. She wiped her face and said, "Zechs was a fencer, but growing up as a prince it was…" She trailed off and caught the way Noin was looking at the ground. "Fencing was a princely and gentlemanly pursuit."

"Treize fenced."

"As I said," Une offered and shrugged.

"And you?"

"When I was in academy I boxed." Une stepped over to a folding chair and sat down. "Then, I was out in the field right after doing things that I'm still not even allowed to talk about."

"And now you run the Preventers," Noin stated.

"I hope, Lucrezia, that I lead them." She stood up and stopped next to Noin at the door. She leaned in and said, "You should give boxing a try sometime. You get a more intimate dance than you do with fencing."

* * *

The dress was a mistake, but it was a Christmas ball and Noin didn't want to wear a suit. She should have worn the suit. She had worn the suit to a million other fancy functions, but she had decided that for Christmas she needed something different. Sally wasn't around to talk her out of it, and then she had run into Dorothy Catalonia at the dress shop. After that there was just no escaping it, but after looking at herself in the mirror Dorothy had at least steered her into something that looked really good on her.

She leaned against the wall and watched as familiar and unfamiliar faces danced and chatted. It was an odd reunion of players from the Gundam wars. Sometimes she knew the names of recognized faces, but not the people themselves. Dorothy gave her a wink as she tugged a young man with dark sideburns along with her towards Relena Darlian's table.

It felt odd to be there alone, but Noin knew her subordinates would want to see her. She didn't have to stay the whole night either. She could leave after an hour or two, take off the that wretched dress, and drink a bottle of wine alone before going to bed. She shut her eyes as the band played something that sounded old, but might just have been a new throwback tune.

"No wise and cool friend with you tonight?"

Noin opened her eyes and looked over at Lady Une, briefly recalling another party where the two chatted while everyone else in the room danced. It had been a much different time then, and certainly a more serious conversation. Now there was only the party.

Noin crossed her arms over her chest, and shifted uncomfortably. "Sally's off somewhere, but you should know that."

"I do." Une looked at extreme ease in the black dress she was wearing, her brown hair was up, and her glasses were absent from her face. She looked like a lady.

"And, you know, Zechs-"

"I do, indeed, know Zechs," Une stated. "You look devastatingly beautiful in that dress," she said after a moment of awkward silence, adding, "And also completely uncomfortable in it."

"Trying something new," Noin replied, and tried to ignore the part where Lady Une actually complimented her. Then she said, "I'm afraid I'm rather awful at talking to you outside of work."

Une reached over and took Noin's hand in her own. She smiled and said, "I don't propose we spend a lot of time tonight talking, Lucrezia."

"I-"

Une leaned towards her and whispered, "We've danced enough, I think, don't you?"

Noin blinked and then grinned. She stepped away from the wall and led Lady Une out of the ballroom and into the cool snowy night.

End.


End file.
